02 Oct What are Some Recent Reflections on Romans from Bible Teachers?
And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.
-2 Peter 3:15-16
In recent years, Christian theologians have continued their mining for even more gold in Paul’s letter to the Romans. R.C. Sproul said, “no book has had such a powerful impact on my life as the book of Romans.”43
John Stott said, “Paul’s letter to the Romans is a kind of Christian manifesto.”44
Charles Swindoll says in his commentary on Romans, “Paul’s letter to the believers in Rome can be called many things. Clearly, this became his magnum opus. It is the first systematic theology of the Christian faith. This letter may be considered the believer’s constitution—the Christian Magna Carta. We might even call it a manifesto of the new kingdom, for it not only declares our essential beliefs, it establishes our agenda as Christ’s disciples.45
N.T Wright says, “Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome is his masterpiece. It covers many different topics from many different angles, bringing them all together into a fast-moving and compelling line of thought. Reading it sometimes feels like being swept along in a small boat on a swirling, bubbling river. We need to hold on tight if we’re going to stay on board. But if we do, the energy and excitement of it all is unbeatable.”46
In the introduction to his commentary on Romans Grant Osborne said, “Paul’s letter to the Romans is clearly the deepest theological treatise in the New Testament, indeed of Scripture as a whole. It was written by one of the great geniuses of the early church under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Who am I to try to unpack such a work, perhaps the greatest of history?”47
In his commentary on Romans, James Boice says, “we cling to man-centered, need-oriented teaching. And our churches show it! They are successful in worldly terms—big buildings, big budgets, big everything—but they suffer from a poverty of soul. All this means, in my judgment at least, that it is time to get back to the basic, life- transforming doctrines of Christianity—which is to say that it is time to rediscover Romans.”48
Bible teacher Warren Wiersbe says, “If a Bible student wishes to master any one book of the Bible, let it be Romans! An understanding of this book is a key to unlocking the entire Word of God.”49 We will do just that in the next chapter as you begin your journey with the Holy Spirit through the book of Romans!
To find the free Romans study guide for individuals and small groups, hear Pastor Mark’s entire sermon series on Romans, or find a free mountain of Bible teaching visit legacy.realfaith.com or download the Real Faith app.
- R. C. Sproul, The Gospel of God: An Exposition of Romans (Great Britain: Christian Focus Publications, 1994), 15.
- John R. W. Stott, The Message of Romans: God’s Good News for the World, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001), 19.
- Charles R. Swindoll, Insights on Romans, Swindoll’s New Testament Insights (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010), 19.
- Tom Wright, Paul for Everyone: Romans Part 1: Chapters 1-8 (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2004), xii.
- Grant R. Osborne, Romans, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2004), 11.
- James Montgomery Boice, Romans: Justification by Faith, vol. 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1991–), 10.
- Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1992), 360.
